State seeks permission for emergency power plants

Independent supplier Energia may be enlisted to run an emergency electricity generator as the Government continues to battle the energy crisis.

The news came as Prepay Power became the latest supplier to ramp up charges, announcing increases from next month that could add €6.53 a-week to household electricity costs and €8.24 to gas bills.

Energia’s site at Huntstown Co Dublin is one of two where Government has asked An Bord Pleanála for permission to build emergency generators to help tackle a growing shortfall in electricity supplies.

Industry sources suggest that Energia could provide the back-up generation at Huntstown, which will be called into action when demand is high and supplies from other sources, including renewables, are low.

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A Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications spokesman said the planning applications were for generators scheduled to be ready for next winter – 2023/24.

The department applied in April to An Bord Pleanála for permission to build a generator at Huntstown under planning law provisions that allow the Government or its agencies to waive planning conditions where there is judged to be an emergency.

Its spokesman said it was consulting with the planning board. Planners are likely to decide on the application shortly. Energia did not comment.

Meanwhile, Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, has also applied to An Bord Pleanála for permission to build a temporary emergency gas-fired electricity plant on ESB property at North Wall in Dublin.

Documents filed with his application show the proposed plant will have six turbines and run from 2023 to late 2027.

“The emergency generating plant will operate up to 500 hours per annum on natural gas only, typically four hours per day when called on to run,” says a summary of Mr Ryan’s application.

Both Mr Ryan and the department applied for permission under section 181 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which states that the Minister can order that some planning rules should not apply to a project where an emergency requires it.

His application states that potential delays in the standard planning process could result in a real risk that the plant will not meet critical deadlines.

Mr Ryan’s application points out that the site has long been used for electricity generation, while there is a nearby supply of natural gas. Building the emergency facility will take up to 15 months. Consultation on the project ended last month.

Prepay Power, whose customers pay as they go for electricity and gas, confirmed on Wednesday that rising international energy prices will force it to increase charges from October 1st. The company will add 19 per cent to electricity charges and 29 per cent to gas from that date.

Prepay calculates that this will add €6.35 a week on average to its 170,000 electricity customers’ bills while its 60,000 gas customers will pay €8.24 a week more.

“Irish wholesale electricity and gas prices have risen 10 times their historic norm over the last 18 months,” said a statement. The business added that it was working to absorb as much of the increased costs as it could.

Prepay Power customers top up their meters and control energy use through smartphone apps or buying credit in newsagents or shops.